An Examination of US Consumer Pet and Veterinary Expenditures, 1980-1999

The veterinary medical profession touches nearly everyone's life, either directly or indirectly. An estimated 58.3% of US households own pets (AVMA, 2002), and most people consume livestock products in the form of meat, dairy products, wool, or leather. The health and well being of all these animals depend heavily on relationships with veterinarians. Veterinarians also contribute to public health through the FDA, CDC, USDA, and numerous other government agencies at the federal, state, and local levels. Issues of primary concern include food safety, biosecurity, and the numerous emerging (and re-emerging) infectious diseases that are zoonotic in nature. Finally, veterinarians have an additional impact through their research contributions. Virtually all of the laboratory animals used in research are raised, housed, and managed under the care of veterinarians, and veterinary researchers regularly provide valuable contributions to the knowledge base in the biomedical sciences. This study was designed to assess the general trends in pet and veterinary expenditures as well as factors associated with pet ownership and expenditures on veterinary medical services. Providing such key information on the sector of greatest economic importance will enhance the probability of sustained economic viability in the veterinary medical profession as a whole.Health Economics and Policy,

Intensive Archaeological Survey Investigations of a Proposed 125-Acre Lakewood Community Park for the City of Leander, Williamson County, Texas

Report Title: Intensive Archaeological Survey Investigations of a Proposed 125-Acre Lakewood Community Park for the City of Leander, Williamson County, Texas Report Date: August 2015 Report Number: WSA Technical Report No. 2015-21 Agency: none Permit Number: Texas Antiquities Code Permit 7296 Project Description: WSA, Inc. (WSA) conducted a 100% pedestrian archaeological survey with shovel testing for the proposed City of Leander, Lakewood Community Park in Williamson County, Texas. The project is sponsored by the City of Leander Parks and Recreation Department and owned by the City of Leander and the investigations are subject to the Texas Antiquities Code (TAC) and TAC permitting. The project was conducted under Texas Antiquities Permit 7296. A total of 27 pedestrian transects were surveyed at 30 m intervals, and two additional transects were conducted parallel to the shoreline. A total of 40 negative shovel tests were excavated in compliance with the THC minimum survey standards for acreage based projects. One prehistoric lithic scatter archaeological site was identified during the investigations (41WM1308). The site consists of a low density, displaced area of tested chert cobbles and flakes confined to the ground surface. No subsurface artifacts were present and no artifacts were collected. No other cultural resources were observed or identified in the project area. Previously recorded prehistoric archaeological site 41WM1159 overlaps the eastern border of the proposed project. The site was not revisited due to the construction of a bermed earthen dam and gravel road in the site area and inundation. This site was previously recorded as a surficial lithic scatter with no observed features and recommended as not eligible for inclusion on the NRHP or as a SAL. Acres Surveyed: 125 Project Number: WSA 2015-27 Project Location: City of Leander, Williamson County, Texas Unevaluated Properties: 0 NRHP Eligible Properties: 0 NRHP Ineligible Properties: 1 (41WM1308) NRHP Listed Properties: 0 Isolated Occurrences: 0 Total Project Resources: 1 Recommendations: Site 41WM1308 is recommended as not eligible as a State Antiquities Landmark (SAL) nor as eligible to the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). WSA requests THC concurrence that site 41WM1308 is not SAL or NRHP eligible and that the site does not warrant any further archaeological investigations. WSA concludes that there exists a low probability that cultural resources eligible for SAL or NRHP listing exist on the surveyed property based on pedestrian survey and negative shovel testing. WSA respectfully requests THC concurrence with the conclusion that there exists a low probability that significant NRHP- or SAL-eligible cultural resources will be impacted by the proposed project. WSA recommends and respectfully requests THC concurrence that with regards to SALs, project construction within the areas of proposed ground disturbance be allowed to proceed under the TAC, and that all TAC permit consultation for the proposed project be considered concluded and complete. All project records will be submitted for professional curation and permanently housed at the Texas Archaeological Research Laboratory (TARL) of the University of Texas at Austin, in partial completion of TAC Permit 7296

Archaeological Survey of a Proposed Copano NGL Services (Markham), LLC, 2.8-mile Pipeline, Matagorda County, Texas

Report Title: Archaeological Survey of a Proposed Copano NGL Services (Markham), LLC, 2.8- mile Pipeline, Matagorda County, Texas Report Date: January 2015 Report Number: WSA Technical Report No. 2015-02 Agency: Texas Historical Commission (THC). Permit Number: Texas Antiquities Permit 7079. Project Description: William Self Associates, Inc. (WSA), conducted cultural resources agency coordination and an archaeology survey for a proposed new 2.8-mile (4.5 kilometer [km]) segment of the 12-inch Copano NGL Services (Markham), LLC (Copano NGL), pipeline in Matagorda County, Texas. Coordination with the Texas Historical Commission (THC) and the archaeology survey were conducted consistent with the requirements of the Texas Natural Resources Code Title 9, Chapter 191 (Antiquities Code of Texas) and accompanying Rules of Practice and Procedure for the code (Texas Administrative Code, Title 13, Chapter 26). The proposed project crosses Texas A&M University property. Texas A&M University is a state entity, and therefore the investigations were subject to regulation by the THC through the Texas Antiquities Code (TAC) and the TAC permitting process. Proposed survey methods were approved by the THC in an initial project coordination letter dated September 25, 2014 (Karbula 2014). The project was conducted under TAC Permit 7079. Pedestrian and reconnaissance survey supplemented with shovel testing was conducted in undisturbed portions of the 2.8-mile (4.5 km) linear survey corridor, which was 30 meters (m) in width (200 feet) and covered a total of 6.8 acres. As per the minimum survey standards of the THC, transects were spaced 30 m apart, and shovel tests were placed at a rate of 16 per mile along the transects, though no transects or shovel tests were conducted in highly disturbed or developed areas, which represented a large portion of the project area. In total, 22 negative shovel tests and three negative backhoe trenches were excavated in support of the investigation. No archaeological sites or any prehistoric or historic-age cultural materials were recorded, recovered, or observed. No features or evidence of prehistoric- or historic-age occupation were identified. Acres Surveyed: 6.8 Project Number: WSA 2014-60 Project Location: Matagorda County, Texas Unevaluated Properties: 0 NRHP Eligible Properties: 0 NRHP Ineligible Properties: 0 NRHP Listed Properties: 0 Isolated Occurrences: 0 Total Project Resources: 0 Recommendations: WSA concludes that there exists a low probability that cultural resources eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) or for designation as a State Antiquities Landmark (SAL) exist on the surveyed property due to the broad extent of existing disturbances and a preponderance of negative shovel tests and backhoe trenches. WSA respectfully requests THC concurrence with the conclusion that there exists a low probability that significant NRHP- or SAL-eligible cultural resources will be impacted by the proposed project. WSA recommends and respectfully requests THC concurrence that with regards to SALs, project construction within the areas of ground disturbance and physically impacted areas of approximately 2.8 miles (4.5 km) be allowed to proceed under the TAC, and that all TAC permit consultation for the proposed project be considered concluded and complete

Archaeological and Metal Detection Investigations of a 4-acre Proposed Development at the Levi Jordan Plantation State Historic Site (41BO165), Brazoria, Texas

Report Title: Archaeological and Metal Detection Investigations of a 4-acre Proposed Development at the Levi Jordan Plantation State Historic Site (41BO165), Brazoria, Texas. Report Date: February 2015 Report Number: WSA Technical Report No. 2015-03 Agency: Texas Historical Commission Permit Number: Texas Antiquities Code (TAC) Permit 7083 Project Description:On behalf of the Texas Historical Commission (THC), William Self Associates, Inc. (WSA), conducted metal detecting and shovel test survey investigations of the east side of the Levi Jordan Plantation State Historic Site (41BO165), Brazoria County, Texas. The THC sponsored the current survey investigations in advance of proposed infrastructure improvements to a currently unoccupied, forested 4-acre tract on the northeast side of the property adjacent to FM 524. The surveys were conducted consistent with the requirements of the Texas Natural Resources Code Title 9, Chapter 191 (Texas Antiquities Code [TAC]) and accompanying Rules of Practice and Procedure (Texas Administrative Code, Title 13, Chapter 26), under Texas Antiquities Permit 7083. The metal detection survey included the participation experienced, volunteer metal detectorists under the guidance of the WSA archaeology team. The investigations were focused on the proposed location of six boreholes, on an approximately 0.3 mile-long (1,600 ft) by 10 foot wide utilities corridor, as well as the locations of a proposed visitor center, parking lot, maintenance complex, and walking trail. These areas were subject to metal detecting at close spacing (approximately 2-m) by three metal detectorists. This was followed immediately by a shovel test survey, with tests placed at proposed borehole locations and then judgmentally based on metal detector survey results. Thirteen negative shovel tests were excavated in support of the survey investigations. Acres Surveyed: 4 Project Number: WSA 2014-105 Project Location: Brazoria County, Texas Unevaluated Properties: 1 NRHP Eligible Properties: 0 NRHP Ineligible Properties: 0 NRHP Listed Properties: 0 Isolated Occurrences: 0 Total Project Resources: 0 Recommendations: The location of the structural remnant is recommended for avoidance by the current project. Should there be any proposed ground disturbing impacts to the feature location, WSA recommends additional archaeological investigations in the form of hand excavated test units and metal detection prospection and recovery, to determine the nature, context, and extent of the feature, and any possible association with the plantation and its important historic context as a State of Texas Historic Site. The feature was identified by the metal detectorists as a relatively large area containing a high volume of buried metal that will require extensive excavation and treatment beyond Phase I survey level recording techniques to expose and thoroughly sample. Indications are from the WSA surveyed portions of the 4-acre tract, that plantation-era artifacts are present, but in low density and widely scattered, and with the exception of the potential feature location (structure remnant), the area contains no intact, plantation-era features. Recovered artifacts are consistent with the use of majority of this area as active cropland during the primary plantation period. WSA recommends and respectfully requests THC concurrence that, except for the feature location as mapped in this report, there is a low probability that additional archaeological investigations will add to our understanding of plantation-age features or events within the investigated area. WSA recommends and respectfully requests that, except for the feature location as mapped in this report, there is little likelihood that any SAL or NRHP eligible components to Site 41BO165 will be impacted by the proposed project. WSA recommends and respectfully requests that, except for the feature location as mapped in this report, no additional archaeological investigations are warranted within the approximately 4-acre project area prior to construction, and that the remainder of the proposed project may proceed to construction with regard to the TAC, and that all TAC reporting-related consultations for the remainder of the proposed project be considered concluded and complete. All recovered artifacts will be curated at the THC Austin facility. All modern trash documented during the investigations has been discarded

Toxicological Studies on Aquatic Contaminants Originating from Coal Production and Utilization: The Induction of Tolerance to Silver in Laboratory Populations of Fish and the Chronic Toxicity of Nickel to Fish Early Life Stages

Aquatic toxicity studies were performed on two important coal-derived contaminants, silver and nickel. Silver was investigated with regard to metal-induced tolerance in laboratory populations of the fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas). Fish were exposed to acute silver concentrations following acclimation to sublethal exposures of this metal. Based on median lethal times (LT50), animals which had received 14 days prior exposure to 1.5 and 15 μg Ag/L were three to four times more resistant to silver than were previously unexposed organisms. This metal-induced resistance was not a sustained response. After organisms which had been acclimated to 15 μg/L had been transferred to clean water for two weeks, LT50 values determined with these animals were statistically indistinguishable from those calculated with non-acclimated control fish. With respect to nickel, a 32-day continuous-flow test was performed with the fathead minnow. Nickel was administered in duplicate at six exposure concentrations ranging from 0.038 to 0.733 mg/Lin medium-hard water (100 mg CaC03/L). Animal test responses included mortality, teratogenesis, and growth. Based on frequencies of mortality after 32 days of continuous exposure, significant effects were recorded at a nickel concentration of 0.120 mg/L, and the no observed effect concentration (NOEC) was determined to be 0.057 mg Ni/L

Microparticle image velocimetry approach to flow measurements in isolated contracting lymphatic vessels

We describe the development of an optical flow visualization method for resolving the flow velocity vector field in lymphatic vessels, in vitro. The aim is to develop an experimental protocol for accurately estimating flow parameters, such as flow rate and shear stresses, with high spatial and temporal resolution. Previous studies in situ have relied on lymphocytes as tracers, but their low density resulted in a reduced spatial resolution whereas the assumption that the flow was fully developed in order to determine the flow parameters of interest may not be valid, especially in the vicinity of the valves, where the flow is undoubtedly more complex. To overcome these issues, we have applied the time-resolved micro-Particle Image Velocimetry technique, a well-established method that can provide increased spatial and temporal resolution that this transient flow demands. To that end, we have developed a custom light source, utilizing high-power light-emitting diodes, and associated control and image processing software. This manuscript reports the performance of the system and the results of a series of preliminary experiments performed on vessels isolated from rat mesenteries, demonstrating, for the first time, the successful application of the micro-PIV technique in these vessels

A bioinformatics workflow for detecting signatures of selection in genomic data

The detection of “signatures of selection” is now possible on a genome-wide scale in many plant and animal species, and can be performed in a population-specific manner due to the wealth of per-population genome-wide genotype data that is available. With genomic regions that exhibit evidence of having been under selection shown to also be enriched for genes associated with biologically important traits, detection of evidence of selective pressure is emerging as an additional approach for identifying novel gene-trait associations. While high-density genotype data is now relatively easy to obtain, for many researchers it is not immediately obvious how to go about identifying signatures of selection in these data sets. Here we describe a basic workflow, constructed from open source tools, for detecting and examining evidence of selection in genomic data. Code to install and implement the pipeline components, and instructions to run a basic analysis using the workflow described here, can be downloaded from our public GitHub repository: http://www.github.com/smilefreak/selectionTools

Aneurysmal degeneration of the superficial femoral artery after remote endarterectomy

Superficial femoral artery reocclusion is the most common complication of remote endarterectomy with the Mollring device. We present the first reported case of a male patient who developed aneurysmal degeneration of the superficial femoral artery after a previous left common femoral endarterectomy and superficial femoral remote endarterectomy with popliteal stenting. He underwent thrombolysis with subsequent percutaneous transluminal angioplasty after developing acute left lower extremity ischemia. At 12-month follow-up, he was free of claudication symptoms. This case illustrates the need for close surveillance and discusses possible treatment options for patients with this rare complication